A Season Of Regrets
by lhuciel
Summary: AU. The battle between love & loyalty, friendship & betrayal, brotherhood & ambition, revenge & forgiveness... AU: mainly Suzaku and Seiryuu seishi; some appearance of Byakko & Genbu seishi. Pls R&R.
1. Introduction

DISCLAIMER: I own no part of Fushigi Yuugi. I am merely borrowing the characters to play parts in my story. **THE RISING SUN** is a product of my imagination. Any similarities to characters, currently living or historical, are not intended.

RATING: PG-13

**The Rising Sun ©****_Jez_ (l.t.s.)** 2003.

SUMMARY: AU, romance/drama featuring characters borrowed from Fushigi Yuugi.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story is constantly under revision.

**The Rising Sun  
written by _Jez_ (l.t.s.)**

Behind the mysterious play lies a secret…  
A hidden truth that inevitably spelled the heroes' fate…

_What had happened before they became the legendary warriors who fought for their priestess?_

Here is a story telling what happened behind the legend…  
The prequel that locked them into the Universe of the Four Gods…

**oOo**

_**…For Love or Loyalty…**_

These are the two primary principles that underlie the choices made by our mysterious heroes...

_**Meet…**_

The princess who defies everything to be with the man she loves…

A nobleman who will stop at nothing to satisfy his ambitions…

The prince who is torn between his country and his heart…

A killer who must choose between right and wrong…

The emperor who realizes his folly too late…

_Indeed, if you were caught between loyalty to your family and love for an enemy...  
what would your choice be?_

Set in Ancient China, amidst the tangle of royal intrigue, political machinations, and martial arts engagements… comes a story that tests the lengths that individuals would strive to gain their ends, telling the costs of each and every action, the secret battles, the overriding ambitions, the personal sacrifices, the ultimate role of fate and destiny.

_WELCOME to the tale of:_

The Rising Sun  
©**_Jez_ (l.t.s.)**

**oOo  
**


	2. PROLOGUE

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi.I am merely **borrowing **the characters for this story. **THE RISING SUN** is a product of my imagination. The setting is borrowed from Ancient China. Any similarities to characters, currently living or historical, are not intended.

RATING: PG-13

**The Rising Sun ©****_Jez_ (l.t.s.)** 2003.

SUMMARY: AU, romance/drama featuring characters borrowed from Fushigi Yuugi.

AUTHOR'S NOTES (A): This story is constantly under revision.

**The Rising Sun  
written by _Jez_ (l.t.s.)**

**PROLOGUE: **

**Tale of an Execution**

Cheng-tu, Szechwan  
Western China

Autumn gold had long since faded under the grey white clouds. Paper dry leaves showered the ground in splotches of brown and scarlet, dancing in circles to a hidden tune. A lone set of four white lamps fluttered sorrowfully in the wind. The street was bare. Every door was closed. Not a voice spoke and not a bird chirped. For a while, there were only the murmurs of the wind. Its whisper was ominous.

_Clang!_

A gong sounded from far away.

_Clang, Clang!_

Footsteps echoed on the pavement. The announcer's voice was heard even before he appeared.

"All ye citizens of this village, hear ye, hear ye…"

They came aligned in two rows of six with one more at the head, all dressed in plain uniform navy robes with black sash, black boots and black caps, swords at their right sides. Their expressions were hard and cold. Their leader carried a brass gong, which he rapped once, paused and then a rapid twice.

_Clang… Clang, clang._

"All ye citizens of this village, listen and listen well…

On this day, at the hour of Wu, Yuk Ming will be executed at the Justice square…"

_Clang… Clang, clang._

The villagers huddled in their home, listening in silence to the terrible proclamation. When the hour reaches the Wu margin, they will gather where they have been called to do.

**oOo**

The white sun moved towards its peak. The old magistrate looked at the sky and frowned, his craggy face twisting into a mask of sadness. The hour was moving fast to midday and soon he would have to issue the order.

He was seated up on a dais, behind a desk of brown indefinable wooden stock, peppered with a quill, an ink stamp, a paper missive stamped with a royal red seal and a short cylinder holding a series of pointed wooden badges each shaped in the form of a sword, all boldly crested with the word _justice_.

He reached for one badge, lifting it and testing the weight of it in his hands. His thumb traced the familiar character etched onto the wood, his brow furrowed deeply. He didn't know why he hesitated, unwilling to fling it down and his eyes drifted unconsciously to the scene below.

Before him, five steps down and two steps forward, lay a platform raised by two steps. Stone-faced soldiers in scarlet livery lined the sides, their bright spears held at ready for any interruption. Beyond them, a crowd had gathered around the square, their faces grave, their eyes turbulent with some appearing afraid, some concerned, some tearful, and some looking downright angry. Yet none of them dared to voice a word. Most only whispered in hushed tones, wary of any miscalculated word being heard to their detriment.

_The selfishness of humanity_.

The thought made him sigh sadly. His eyes followed their gaze.

On the stage, a big man stood, shirtless, his skin shiny from sweat. He was clad only in black pants with a bright red bandana over his head and a shiny sabre in his right arm. Before him, a figure in dirty white knelt facing the east, head bowed dejectedly, eyes hidden from the crowd, long hair in disarrayed tangles amassed with dirt and dried blood glinting red in the sun, hands gathered behind and bound so tightly that blood-red lines stained the skin under the ropes. A tree stump chopped within two feet of its roots stood at the centre of the platform with the concentric circles of its wasted bark stained an old brown and crimson. Neither figure moved nor spoke.

A soldier ran up the steps, the sudden movement bringing his attention back to the weight in his hand.

"Your excellency, the hour is at hand."

The magistrate nodded, fingering the wood, feeling an odd reluctance in his soul. He sighed before he spoke.

"Yuk Ming, for the crime of treason, you will be executed to death by decapitation. For the last time, do you have anything to say for yourself?"

All eyes turned to Yuk Ming, the woman kneeling at the chopping block. She raised her head slowly, her solemn eyes filled with the green darkness of an ageless pain. She cast a glance at the magistrate who waited for her reply, at the soldiers who stood by, at the gathered masses and spoke:

"Crimson clouds hold the endless sky  
Dragon hopes, phoenix tears slip into the cold ground  
A cup of wine drowns the sighs of truth, the golden lies  
Only the autumn wind hears the heart that longs, the soul that cries."

A solitary tear fell on the ground. Without another word, she bent and laid her head sideways on the wooden bark, the stench of old blood spilled countless times before burning her eyes.

The magistrate sighed again. He glanced at the soldier waiting at his side and nodded. Then he flung the badge forward, the order of decapitation rife in his spoken word.

"Execute!"

Yuk Ming closed her eyes.

_So this was how it all ended._

**oOo**

AUTHOR'S NOTES (B):

_**Wu **_**hour **- hour of the Horse (11:00 - 12:59 pm).

_**Yuk Ming **Jade Dawn _- a chinese name for a girl.

**oOo**

AUTHOR'S NOTES (C):

_Thanks for reading _


	3. CHAPTER 1 Home is not where the heart is

DISCLAIMER: Fushigi Yuugi isn't mine. I'm only borrowing characters from it. I'm also borrowing the setting from the Forbidden City in China. **THE RISING SUN**, however, is a product of my imagination. Any potential similarities to characters, currently living or historical, are not intended.

RATING: PG-13

**The Rising Sun ©****_Jez_ (l.t.s.)** 2003.

SUMMARY: AU, romance/drama featuring characters borrowed from Fushigi Yuugi.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story is constantly under revision. Letters in bold italics are memories of the character.

CHARACTERS:  
**_Yuk __Ming_ **_Jade Dawn _**- Yuki Miaka  
Kiu **_**Ching Fung **Immaculate Wind _- **Kishuku Sou / Tamahome**

**The Rising Sun  
written by _Jez_ (l.t.s.)**

**Chapter 1:**

**The Phoenix Princess**

**_In the beginning..._**

Forbidden City, Beijing  
Northern China

Outside the dawn was breaking, a canvas of peach and crimson unfurling across the lightening expanse of dwindling grey skies. The light western breeze brushed softly against the silken curtains of a red palanquin. The scent of perfumed blooms was faint to her senses but the dews from yester night remained sharp in the wind. She breathed it all in, tasting the change that told her she'd reached the city.

She sighed, the sound soft and wistful, blending in with the muted songs of chorusing birds from far away. Even now, the cacophony of vendors squabbling over market spaces, of wives arguing over their wares and of children already at play laughing freely in the streets reached her and the normality of the noise almost made her smile.

This was the time of day that she liked, the slow moments between the fading dark and the glimmering light, the point where she could see the hope of tomorrow's rising sun and yet still cling to the embrace of yesterday's past. It was the period where today had not fully began and decisions need not yet be made, where she could still let the memories wash over her. It was in these remaining shadows between dark and light that a dream persists. Relentless in its call.

_Freedom. _

A chord in her mind stirred, carrying a familiar voice.

_**Let us leave together. Come, Yuk Ming. Come with me...**_

**_I wish I could. But I am not free to do so._**

She felt the sting of nails bite into her flesh and she looked down at her clenched fists. The image faded. She knew that freedom was an ideal created by dreamers seeking to elude reality. Just as she knew that soon the azure skies would collide with the scarlet sun and the brilliance of their powerful aura would be unmarred by streaking clouds. And when the shadows slip away, the dream will sink back to its daily slumber.

She sighed and waited for the inevitable.

_Dawn. _The breathtaking tableau that provides the perfect backdrop for the magnificent splendour already outlined in sunkissed gold in the distance before her.

The Imperial Palace...the destination she was headed for and the place she had always known as her home. She closed her eyes as the voice once again beckons softly to her.

_**Come with me, Yuk Ming. **_

**_I cannot leave. This is my land, my home. _**

_Home._ There was no sense of warmth and joy associated with it. Only sadness descended, a heavy weight in her chest mixed with the burden of wondering if... what if... she had followed the voice and left...

Not for the first time in her life, she wondered why she was different. Those people - the city vendors, the wives in the market, the playing children - they were all from a different world. Home was were they decide it to be. Free was how they will always be.

Their lives would never blend with hers.

Even now, the graceful steps of four liveried servants and four outriders guided her conveyance smoothly through its slow tranquil progress, past winding walkways towards her ultimate destination, the sprawling set of imposing gates and the rising buildings beyond that were the seat of power of the whole nation. Her world lay within those gates and soon, the minute glimpse of the city would fade. Like her dreams.

With the full outbreak of the dawn, they reached the Gate of Divine Might - the Northern rear entrance of the Forbidden City. From behind the sheer silken curtains gently fluttering in the breeze, she watched the soldiers standing guard at the gate, their faces cold and stern. In one flash of a second, one recalcitrant thought flickered through her mind, teasing her that perhaps these sentries would stop her progress... that they would detain her... or even bar her entry... somehow enabling her to cling to the liberating world outside these walls and delay the assembly of binding duties that came with daylight.

She shook her head, as if the physical gesture could clear her mind. And in the next second, the thought was banished and with it the foolish dream that finally went back to sleep. Outside, the guards had taken one look at the red palanquin and had bowed deeply. The dark blue uniform of her servants with its ornate gold plated buttons and blinding white shoes had proclaimed their Imperial Guard status and the sentries had instinctively showed their respect. Then, at the flash of a golden badge crested with the flying phoenix, they all sank to their knees.

"We respectfully greet her imperial highness, may she live for a thousand years."

The sentries spoke together, their voices melding in a soft humble chorus as they bowed to reverently allow her procession through.

Her servants resumed their fluid pace and the procession moved past the thick walls of the northern gate. As the heavy iron gates clattered to a close, the heaviness settled more firmly in her heart, momentarily making her gasp in a breath, a quick intake that betrayed the uneasiness that flooded her. A sense of entering a prison that she could not escape.

_**But you must escape, Yuk Ming. You are no longer safe here. **_

**_I cannot. I'm sorry._**

She squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated on easing the tightness in her chest, counting till she regained as much normality as she could. But in that brief loss of control, his face started to take form in her mind. She saw his eyes, a beckoning warmth that held the light of the silvery moon over a midnight sea.

_**Please, Yuk Ming. Leave with me and I will protect you with all that I have. With all that I am.**_

**_It is my duty to stay. _**

She looked outside once again, with eyes so clouded that they saw none of the glorious passing scenery. Instead, in her mind, a lonely patch of road appeared, an established course stretching to the future in a heavily-carved path that she must follow and all the signs that she could see only spelled the words _duty _and _responsibility._Two principles that dictated all her actions, even now.

Duty. This was always what her life was about. In the past. In the future. In this present time. Her presence here was a response to a royal summons. A command that cannot be disobeyed. A duty that cannot be shirked. She had been away for several long months. Her recent trip had taken her down to the Eastern Province of Chekiang where her stay had been unavoidably delayed. Upon her return to the capital, she had received an imperious order from the palace requiring her immediate presence at court. The formality of the letter had been cold but she had not been surprised. Duty called to her but it was such a sad whisper.

_**Can't you leave all of these behind? I want you to be safe, Yuk Ming. With me.**_

**_I cannot. I must go back. _**

His voice had been warm, questioning, his eyes beseeching. It had taken all her self control not to give in. The sting of nostalgic tears blurred her eyes. She blinked them away and looked outside. Two small birds, pale green, peppered with gold and blue, swept past, flying low and singing a lively tune, calling to her with their unabashed freedom. She sighed, the sound lost in the happiness of the birds' song. They circled her twice, chirping gaily as one chased while the other playfully fluttered its wings - the two engaging in a dance as old as time itself.

The dance of _love_.

She closed her burning gaze, fighting the grasp of regret and longing as the burgeoning feeling of desolation overwhelmed her being.

_**For the love of God, come with me. I love you, Yuk Ming.**_

**_You must go now. Goodbye._**

A pang hit her as his face finally took full form before her. Blue black hair that glinted bright in the firelight, falling over his eyes, making her fingers itch to trace it away. Eyes sparkled like stars on a smoky sky lured her to lose herself into their endless depths. Sensual lips that held the familiar lazy smile gave warmth and invited all the softness in her to rise to the fore.

She blinked the wetness from her eyes. Outside, a servant flung out a hand dissuading the birds' joyous disturbance and they ceased their courtship at once. That had been the end. He had confessed his love and she had turned away. One lone tear escaped her eye as the birds flew into the nearby Imperial Gardens, taking her last dreams with them. Her hand reached up and brushed her moisture away.

A gentle breeze blew the curtain up revealing her face… and all of a sudden, she jerked up, a chill running down her spine as she sensed something out there in the silence of her surroundings… almost as if there were eyes staring at her face, intently, and devouringly… Raising the curtain, she rapidly scanned the rooftops of the various courts and palaces… but everything was still and silent as before… yet she knew deep within herself that something was out there.

Quite suddenly, she heard the hiss of an object flying through the air and no more than a second later, the palanquin that carried her tipped to one side.

Breathing hard, she knew what had caused the rough lurching of her chair. A pebble had been thrown, the hiss of the stone palpably audible to her trained ears. And a second later, one of her servants had faltered in his step as his knee gave way upon the impact of the pebble. Gripping the sides of the chair as it tipped uncertainly, she prepared herself for the attack. Yet she wondered who would try such a foolhardy act to disrupt the progress of such an ordinary unofficial parade and risk bringing forth the multitude of dangerous Imperial Guards ready to protect the palace at all costs. In fact, she doubted if anyone other than the emperor and his closest advisers knew of her arrival. So who indeed would care to interrupt her homecoming like this? It wasn't as if they knew the importance of her return for even she could not as yet ascertain that… Yet it seemed, she would receive a homecoming welcome after all - one that she did not desire in the least...

At last, the chair settled down on the ground and she stepped out of the sedan and her servants immediately sank down to their knees.

"Your Highness, we humbly beg your pardon. Please punish us for failing to perform our duty properly", they chorused humbly, not daring to look up.

She stayed silent for a moment, shaking out her sleeves and arranging her robes around her as she strained her ears and other senses - trying to locate the figure who had interrupted the progress of her royal homecoming. Then she looked at her servants and their worried mien tugged at her heart. It hadn't been their fault at all.

"You are pardoned. All rise."

Even as she spoke and saw her servants rise, their heads still bowed respectfully, she suddenly felt the whisper of a breeze against her cheeks and she realized the hidden figure's rapid approach heralding an attack on her person. She looked up in time to see a whirling mass of silken black sheets descending upon her like raven claws. She reached out and instantly, two long thin flexible swords appeared in her hands, descending from her sleeves. As she swept her arms up and twirled both swords around in the familiar dance of the defensive arts she practised. In no time, she had ripped through the ebony sheets, creating a snowfall of little strips of black silk.

Then suddenly, masculine laughter reached her, warm and achingly familiar. Her heart skipped a beat.

_It can't be..._

She looked up to see a figure clad in a robe of midnight blue and red sash, lounging on a palace rooftop, blue-black hair flowing behind him like dark wings of an apocalyptic god. In that instant, emotions smouldering inside her charged relentlessly foreward.

_Ching Fung…_

She traced his features with her eyes, drinking in the handsome symmetry that marked every plane of his face. Her fingers ached to touch the tender curve of his lips that even now were stretching temptingly into that incredible heart-stopping smile. Those _lips_ that had been firm and warm against her cheek, against her skin... Heat suffused her cheeks.

Beside her a servant coughed softly. She turned towards the sound. A eunuch stood before her, bowing low.

"Your Highness, pray forgive me for speaking in this forward manner... but may I be so bold as to say that His Majesty, the Emperor, may he live ten thousand years, patiently awaits at the Palace of Celestial Purity."

Torn, she stood there gazing back at the servant who waited with his eyes trained deferentially on the ground. If she flew up towards the roof, she will gaze her fill of him up close and lose herself once again in the depths of tempting turbulent pools.

The last time she had seen him, she had turned and walked away, leaving him standing there, his heart in his eyes. She had given him all that she could have. At that moment, she wondered if she should have let him know...

_**I love you too, Kiu Ching Fung... If you only knew...**_

She turned back to the waiting servant. He remained waiting respectfully. Regardless of her qualms, she could not turn back now. It was time for her to face the consequences of her actions.

"Very well."

The curtains of the palanquin was lifted and she stepped forward. A strong gust of wind swept by, raking up a minute storm of dust that settled as suddenly as it came. She shivered despite the warmth of the morning sun.

She cast one last look at the roof, hoping to catch a last glimpse of him but he was gone. Her surroundings had become as deathly silent as before and all around her not one single piece of shredded raven silk could be seen.

**oOo**

**CAST:**

**Yuki Miaka**_ as _**_Yuk __Ming_ **_Jade Dawn, _the Phoenix Princess

**Kishuku Sou / Tamahome **_as _**Kiu **_**Ching Fung **Immaculate Wind _

**oOo**

A/N: Thank you for reading.


	4. CHAPTER 2 Mischief distracts from Sorrow

DISCLAIMER: Fushigi Yuugi is not, never was and never will be... mine sigh sadly. **THE RISING SUN** is a product of my imagination but I am borrowing characters from Fushigi Yuugi. The setting is borrowed from the Forbidden City in China. Any potential similarities to characters, currently living or historical, are not intended.

RATING: PG-13

**The Rising Sun ©****_Jez_ (l.t.s.)** 2003.

SUMMARY: AU, romance/drama featuring characters borrowed from Fushigi Yuugi.

AUTHOR'S NOTES (A): This story is constantly under revision.

CHARACTERS:  
**_Yuk __Ming_ **_Jade Dawn _**- Yuki Miaka  
Kiu **_**Ching Fung **Immaculate Wind _- **Kishuku Sou / Tamahome  
_Wan_** _**Fei **Flying Cloud -_ **Shunu Kou/ Tasuki  
Emperor Chu _Kim Tin _**_Heavenly Sword -_ **Saihitei / Hotohori  
**_**Suet Lam **Purple Snow - _**Kourin  
****_Tin Po _**_Heavenly Retribution _**- Tenbun**

**The Rising Sun  
written by _Jez_ (l.t.s.)**

**Chapter 2:**

******Mischief and **Secrets 

_An Alley leading away from the Imperial Gardens_  
Forbidden City, Beijing, Northern China

A soft breeze gently blew the curtain up but Yuk Ming was now oblivious to the passing scenery. Ching Fung couldn't have appeared without a guard's notice. It didn't seem possible. Either his martial arts abilities have increased beyond her wildest imagination _or… _

A fleeting suspicion started to build in her mind. She smiled grimly. Someone had decided to play tricks on her again. She almost gritted her teeth in frustration.

_Wan Fei. _

So he was here at the palace. Somehow, he had learnt that she was back and he had decided to give her his own peculiar style of a homecoming welcome. Cheeks reddening, she realised that he would have seen her surprise, her longing… all her unguarded reactions at the sight of the phantom Ching Fung… It was, to say the least, _mortifying_.

_Damn Wan Fei and his talismans!_

She lifted the curtain again, eyes narrowed as she scaled the passing scenery. A moment later, the servants carrying the palanquin nearly fell to their knees as they witnessed their princess levitating effortlessly through the window. Silken strips of silk flew from her hands finding anchor at distant palace beams seconds before her nimble feet stepped on the fabric bridges as she ran to catch her quarry. Her direction unerringly aimed straight at the roof of the Palace of Purity, ducal residence of the second prince.

**oOo**

_Palace of Purity _  
**East **of the Inner Court, Forbidden Palace

He gazed at the dawn with a smile. The pink rays bathed him in its soft warmth.

_Ah, what a life…_

He leaned back to lie on the warm tiles of the roof, his vantage point chosen for its perfect view. This was as close as he could get to the freedom of his old life. A few years ago, he would have recoiled at the mere thought of walking through the hallowed halls of this _Purple_ city. Now, he admitted grudgingly that it wasn't so bad. In reality, fighting an army for food had begun to lose its allure. Setting traps and planning hits - all that excitement that he had thrived on for so long had begun to pale. By comparison, food - enough to feed an army - were now brought to him all perfectly cooked and garnished, served on the most expensive of silver. The material things in life that had always held a unique appeal were also in abundance. Jade, emeralds, pearls, gold... you name it... he had it by the buckets now - they were around him everywhere, even on his shoes. Besides, the biggest problem had been eliminated. _Those damned women_… are _gone_. The moment dear old bro appeared, their eyes had been super-glued to him forever. And that was the way it should be. There will no longer be whimpering, simpering, giggling girls. No more orders, no more cat fights, no more talks of diets and boyfriends... In short, no more girls. Period. Girls, especially the bossy ones, suck all the way to hell

Well, maybe except for Yuk Ming, or as everyone else called her, _Her Imperial Highness, Fei Fung Gong Chue_. He didn't care for all those bloody long titles. To him, she would always be his little _Yuk Ming_, a perpetual source of joy for him. She was also a frequent target for all his unspent mischief. He was glad that she was back and even gladder still that she'd fallen for his trick so neatly.

_Life is good._

He chuckled, remembering her yearning expression when the talisman had disappeared. Suddenly, a soft hiss of the wind reached his ears and he half-rose, turning towards the source. His eyes nearly popped out at the accelerating approach.

_What the hell? _

"Wan Fei!" The harsh tone reached him, barely resembling the voice of the girl he knew.

_Yuk Ming?_

_Shit._ He's been discovered.

**oOo**

**MEANWHILE...**

At the _Palace of Gathering Elegance _  
**West **of the Inner Court, Forbidden Palace

She had been facing the window when he came in. A 45 degree glimpse of a graceful throat and perfect skin and then he had pulled his eyes away and sank to his knees in respect. Yet despite the all-too-brief vision, her graceful image had been forever branded on his mind. The rays of the dawning sun lit her hair into a crowning halo and turned her skin into exquisite porcelain. Her regal robes moulded to her figure in suggestive prose while every line of her image exuded the most potent combination of supreme elegance and alluring sophistication. He had never seen anything to equal such beauty and grace.

He was only a simple man who never questioned his station in life. He had been raised to serve her and never to question it. He had never even seen her face. All he had needed to know was that she spelled the hope of his people and for that, he would follow her wishes till the day he died. But now, all that has changed. "She is back?"

Her voice was soft and low, laced with a slight huskiness that lent it a sensuality beckoning to all who heard it. He found himself no proof against its enchantment as he felt his knees almost melting into the ground.

"Yes,Your Highness. The Phoenix Princess is on her way to the Palace of Celestial Purity."

With his head bowed, he felt rather than saw her turn around. Very soft languid steps brought her close to where he knelt just inside the door. She stood before him, so close that a waft of snow violets reached his nostrils, the scent intoxicating his senses with its delicate sensuality. Yet he dared not look up. He could not violate the differential space between their status - the code of behaviour required between mistress and servant. So, his head remained lowered respectfully as his eyes focussed determinedly on the ground. Still, he could see the glittering threads of gold on the beautiful rich purple of her silken robes... the shade that complimented perfectly the shining cloud of satin curls that he'd seen cascading down her back, past her narrow waist, those silken tresses curling around her bare etruscan forearms which were adorned with jade and golden bracelets...

"Tin Po, isn't it?" Her liquid voice brought him back from his reflections.

His heart thudded loudly in his chest.

"Yes, Your Highness." Somehow, she had _remembered _his name!

"You have done well. Keep me informed. I rely on you, Tin Po." He felt a warmth diffuse over him and an uncontrollable smile tug his lips. He fought to crush it.

"As you wish, Your Highness." _He would do anything for her. _

"Was there anything else you needed to give me, Tin Po?" For a moment, his mind went blank. What was she asking? What did she mean? _Something else to give to his princess? Give? I... Damnation! _

He'd already forgotten his purpose for coming here and _this goddess _had had to remind him. He swallowed, feeling mortification burn his ears red and wishing he was elsewhere or if he could only crawl into a hole in the ground. Still, he reached into his breast pocket. With his head low, his voice humble, he respectfully presented the letter he'd been charged to deliver with both hands.

"Yes, Your Highness, a missive for you."

There was silence as the scent of snow violets teased across his senses, casting a spell over him. Then, he felt the cool touch of her fingers brushing against his as she took the letter from him. It was _torture. Pure, _exquisite _torture_. Suddenly he was ceased by an urge to escape. Her nearness, her exquisite scent. His senses responded too strongly to her. His blood pounded in his ears.It was imperative that he vacated this room for his mind told him in no uncertain terms that at any minute longer, he would lose his mind. _He wanted her so badly. _The emotions he felt came as a shock even to himself Only when he heard the rustle of silk and saw the purple skirts drifting away that he almost sank to the ground in relief.

"You may go now, Tin Po. And... thank you." He stood up and bowed his way out, a brief stolen glance showed the lady back at the window, her back to him, and the letter he had brought clutched tightly in her hand. Then the doors closed. He sighed. He hadn't even seen her face. This was the woman who commanded his allegiance and held his life in the delicate fingers of her pearl white hand. She was the hope of his people and now, the epitome of all his dreams.

Drinking in the biting freshness of the dew-scented air, his senses slowly recovered and he thought of how much power she held in her small hand. It was not only because of her position but because anyone who beheld her image would collapse helpless at her feet. He had been no different from the other men who'd been privileged with similar missions to Her Highness. To have so many men under her command, and more so falling under her spell, he wondered how much satisfaction she must feel in holding such power.

_Indeed, Princess Suet Lam was a very powerful woman._

He turned away and left, not hearing the soft sigh that followed his exit… a sound that manifested infinite sadness and more than just a twinge of regret… He never saw the letter falling on the floor - a yellowish white piece of paper that bore no words but only the mark of a hideous black skull. He never witnessed the woman called Suet Lam sink to the ground, her shaking hand grasping her cheek as she shed her elegant mien like a cloak... her shoulders slumping and the large fawnlike eyes closing, letting a lone tear escape the thick long lashes to glide unerringly down a porcelain cheek. And lastly, he never heard the soft whisper of that husky voice...

"_Yuk Ming, why did you have to come back now?_"

**oOo**

AUTHOR'S NOTES (B):

I have added specific locations with each scene in order to lessen the confusion. Several things had to be happening at the same time but if the chapters are confusing please let me know.

---oOo---

The imperial palace is sometimes referred to as the Purple Forbidden City.

Fei Fung Gong Chue (the Phoenix Princess) is a title bestowed on Yuk Ming (played by Miaka Yuuki). More on this later.

Fei Fung: Flying Phoenix  
Gong Chue: Princess

**CAST:**

**Yuki Miaka**_ as _**_Yuk __Ming_ **_Jade Purity, _the Phoenix Princess

**Kishuku Sou / Tamahome **_as _**Ching Fung**_Immaculate Wind _

**Shunu Kou/ Tasuki **_as _**Chu_ Wan Fei_** _Flying Cloud, _The Second Prince and younger brother of Emperor Kim Tin

**Saihitei / Hotohori **_as _**Emperor Chu _Kim Tin _**_Heavenly Sword, _Emperor of the land

**Kourin **_as **Suet Lam **Purple Snow,_ a lady residing in the Palace more in chapter 4

_**Tenbun** as _**_Tin Po _**_Heavenly Retribution, _Agent of Princess Suet Lam

---oOo---

AUTHOR'S NOTES (C):

Thanks so much for dropping by. Please let me know what you think of my story so far.

**oOo**


	5. CHAPTER 3 An Elaborate Game begins

DISCLAIMER: I do not own FY but like many others at this site, I am merely borrowing the characters temporarily. Architectural references are borrowed from the Forbidden City in China. **THE RISING SUN** is a product of my imagination. Any potential similarities to characters, currently living or historical, are not intended.

RATING: PG-13

**The Rising Sun ©****_Jez_ (l.t.s.)** 2003.

SUMMARY: AU, romance/drama featuring characters borrowed from Fushigi Yuugi.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story is constantly under revision.

WARNING: Some cursing and general Wan Fei language.

CHARACTERS:  
**_Yuk __Ming_ **_Jade Dawn _**- Yuki Miaka  
Kiu **_**Ching Fung **Immaculate Wind _- **Kishuku Sou / Tamahome  
_Wan_** _**Fei **Flying Cloud -_ **Shunu Kou/ Tasuki  
Emperor Chu _Kim Tin _**_Heavenly Sword -_ **Saihitei / Hotohori  
**_**Suet Lam **Purple Snow - _**Kourin  
****_Tin Po _**_Heavenly Retribution _**- Tenbun**

**The Rising Sun  
written by _Jez_ (l.t.s.)**

**Chapter 3:**

**A Compromising Injury**

_Palace of Celestial Purity_  
**Centre** of the Inner Court, Forbidden Palace

He sat staring at the letters before him, not comprehending a word. His mind contemplated a far deeper dilemma that no simple answer could solve. But his advisers had laid out the evidence piece by piece.

_Her background… _According to them, _that _alone should have instilled suspicion from the start.

_Her frequent absences… _Excuses of illness had never been proven. She relied on her own servants and never utilised the palace physicians. That act further aroused their suspicion.

_Her letters… _Each had word spelled a passion that most only dreamt about, few could write about and fewer still could feel. These last set were the most incriminating of them all. Even he himself began to doubt the sentiments he thought they shared.

_For with love, of all things, you could surpass everything. _

She had told him that once upon a time, when he had fallen into the depths of loneliness and she had rescued him with the promise of friendship, hope and love. He had believed her and found comfort in her beloved care.

_Beloved… _The word cut right into his heart as he blinked the haziness in his eyes away.

She _couldn't _have done it. It went against everything that he believed and knew her to be. Yet he could not explain the facts outlined by his advisers as pure coincidence. He sighed. The only recourse left is to give her a chance to explain.

He looked up when a falsetto voice echoed through the large room.

"Your Majesty, the Princess Suet Lam seeks an audience."

"Let her in."

As the doors opened, the exquisite figure glided in with effortless grace. She knelt down, greeting him respectfully but through the shining tresses gracing her brow, shimmering eyes peeked shyly at him and a small smile curved the ruby lips… and as always, his heart melted against the onslaught of it. His current worries fled from his mind.

Without another thought, he stood up and rushed down to her side, reaching out to clasp her hands in his, a grasp so tight and urgent that her face flew up in surprise.

"Suet Lam." He whispered, the word a beloved sound in the depth of his heartfelt voice, as he pulled her to him. She smiled and leaned towards him, laying her cheek against his chest.

_Your Majesty, my love._

**oOo**

**MEANWHILE...**

_At the Palace of Purity _(Palace of the Second Prince)  
**East **of the Inner Court, Forbidden Palace  
Peking, Northern China

Princess Yuk Ming, the woman who bore the title of The Phoenix Princess, was fuming. Her embarrassment at Wan Fei's trick overruled all sense as she sailed up with every intention of allotting appropriate payback. She saw him on the tiled roof of the Palace of Purity, the special quarters usually given to the Crown Prince and that was bestowed to Wan Fei by his emperor brother. Wan Fei lay on the roof, face turned towards the warm sun, his hair glinting as red as the ball of fire burning in the east, as he chuckled to himself in secret merriment.

"Wan Fei!" He stiffened at her call and turned around to face her.

"_Ming Mei Pretty Dawn_?"_ Only _Wan Fei would call her by that _old_ childhood name. She almost smiled despite her fury.

His face was a complete picture of shock. The slanted eyes were opened so wide that his amber irises looked tiny compared to the whites of his eyeballs. His mouth had dropped open, revealing fangs that had scared many a child away but irrevocably endeared his face into her heart. His expressions were still the open mirror that reflected his emotions as clearly as the dawning day. But then before her very eyes, he stood up, straightening, his face assuming a look of placidity, so akin to Kim Tin's tranquil visage that she almost stopped mid-flight. Having witnessed her impending attack, he now simply stood there and waited calmly. The morning breeze ruffled the soft fabric of his black robe and his blazing hair was immaculately tied back from his face. All in all, he truly presented every image of the stately and dignified Second Prince that he was now.

She found herself practically skidding to a stop. A few steps from him, she stood and surveyed him silently. In all the months that she hadn't seen him, he had changed. His outfit was no longer the stolen almost ill-fitting albeit expensive tunic of a bandit but an elegant billowing robe of classic black silk embroidered with gold dragons among pearly clouds. Her eyes wandered to his ears. Ah, the long jingling opalescent earrings have been replaced by jade studs. The chains around his neck had been discarded and in their stead, one large jade pendant, ornately carved and matching the studs in colour, dangled elegantly from his gold waist band. _The damned bandit had turned respectable! _She could barely believe it despite the vision in front of her eyes. Was she supposed to kneel before this august prince first, before she tackled him? She wondered in awe as she stared unblinking at the tensed masculine form before her.

_Tensed? Hmmm..._

She looked again, more closely this time and she almost swore that she saw him swallowing nervously. So, he was uneasy underneath all that royal finery. His dignified poise now looked more defensive than stately. His eyes held none of the outward calm that she had initially perceived to be so alike his brother. Instead, they looked almost guilty. No, make that damnably guilty. And he looked like he was bracing himself even as he waited for her to release her rage.

In that instant, all her anger melted away.

**oOo**

_Shit. _He was in for it now. Yuk Ming looked like she could spit fire after chasing through that amazing distance from her palanquin towards him. Her voice, gravelly and low, sounded more like a growl from a tigress than a woman when she called out his name. Admittedly, his hit had been slightly below the belt. His gut clenched suddenly almost in protest. Ok, so it was low to do that to a girl – Hell, everyone knows females were pathetic bundles of emotions. Even the most calm looking female would have a bloody cauldron of emotions simmering right under the surface, ready to explode in your face at any moment. _Yep, even Yuk Ming_. She was the strongest female he knew - not physically but in _spirit_ but Her damned weakness was her heart. He knew that like he knew his name. Using Ching Fung had seemed like such a great idea a while ago and he hadn't been able to resist. Especially… when that last trick she did to him ended with him being stuck in this damned big prison of a palace. It was a neat move and at any other time, he would have saluted her but dammit, this had _him _involved! The _leader_ of a bunch of damned _tricky_ _bandits_ to be _tricked_ by a mere slip of a girl. Ugh! Although he grudgingly decided that she had probably meant well, it still didn't sit well on him. Damn her for ruining his great life in the rough mountains of KunLun in the West, where he was never confined by bloody god-damned rules... _of be-ha-vi-our_, for crying out loud... He sighed... those endless rules were the bane of his life now... It was her fault for changing his life to this bloody damned _pre-dic-ta-ble_ existence where all bits of luxury babied him till they fell out of his ears and still they wrapped around him like damned chains. This was his excuse for thinking up his trick in case anybody should ask but Hell! When Kim Tin had mentioned that Yuk Ming was coming back, he had almost leapt in joy! Gods, he had missed the little girl so much! But _no one _is ever gonna catch him ever saying that! Guys have to be cool and that's a _re-pu-ta-tion_ to protect afterall!

_Ah well, the price of payback had been sweet while it lasted._

He had had his fun and now it was time to pay. If he had any grace, he would stand hear and bear the brunt of her rage. He looked back at her and waited for the inevitable. Standing still waiting so patiently was killing him. All he wanted to do was give her a bear hug and ask her how she was and what the hell she's been doing running around the bloody land... He really had missed her.

_Damn it! _He was no freaking _girl_. He tried to squelch the dumb sentiment away. He was a man, a tough bad-assed fearless ex-bandit leader, an _awe-some _and _re-vered_ hero of the Western Mountains and now, an _au-gust _prince of the frigging nation. He would be damned if he was going to bawl in front of a girl. But hell, what the fuck was wrong with missing a girl? Especially a _little _girl? Nothing, right? Hmmph! Still, it's best not to let females know where they stand. That's one more step of power to them. He'll keep his cool and wait for Yuk Ming to vent her emotions and then they'll talk. Fuck, he can't wait to tell her... _what? _That he missed her? No, dammit to hell and back! How many times did he have to tell himself to... _Stand bloody still and act like a real man! _He almost sighed in frustration as he faced the avenging angel before him.

Thus, it was all he could do not to swear violently when the girl tackled him headlong. He prepared himself for the impact of the breaking tiles and the inevitable crashing fall to the marble floors below. And it was more than a split second later before he finally realised that he was standing stockstill, frozen in place exactly where he had been a minute ago. The only difference was that Yuk Ming's arms had encircled his waist and that she was hugging him as if there was no bloody tomorrow. The shock hit him in all its tidal strength._Instead of an attack, she had hugged him. The idiot! _Yet despite himself, his arms reached of their own volition to wrap around her and he returned her impromptu hug just as tightly. For a moment, neither spoke. She held him so close that he could feel her softness pressed against him and the warmth of her touch was spreading through his skin. As the silence stretched, Wan Fei felt an uncomfortable sensation begin to build within him as the scent of her hair drifted to his nose. He had the sudden inexplicable urge to bury his face in the silken russet strands. She didn't seem so _little_ to him anymore. It brought a puzzled frown onto his brow until the sudden moistness of his thin robe brought him back to his proper senses. He leaned back suddenly, loosening his hold to lift the girl's chin up. And he swore right into her face.

"Holy fuckin' hell! Yuk Ming, why the hell are ya crying?" To his consternation, she only shook her head and resumed the task of submerging his cloak in tears. His frown deepened. "Look, girl," he said, intending his voice to be gruff but to his disgust his low voice sounded gentle enough to mirror his brother's refined tones. He looked into her watery green eyes and felt a sudden tightening in his chest. "Yuk Ming, you can hit me, yell at me, anything... _just_..." Wan Fei stopped as her tears continued to flow. He felt like the biggest blackguard in all existence. She was crying and it was all his fault for dragging her through memories of Ching Fung... Only now did it occur to him that all those memories weren't all that perfect... Something had happened since he'd last seen her... Gods, he _hadn't _known. Still, it didn't render his actions any less terrible. Even worse still, now for the life of him, he didn't know how to make her stop crying. All of a sudden, his arms around her began to feel awkward. He didn't deserve her warmth. He tried to pull away but she wouldn't let him go. Really the girl had the strength of ten bulls. He felt like his ribs were going to be crushed. He ran a frustrated hand through his neatly bound hair, releasing the fiery strands from their neat arrangement.

"Dammit! Yuk Ming, stop crying. At the rate you're going, you're gonna flood the bloody palace! Just think of what our beautiful Emperor would say!"

A strangled sound between a giggle and a hiccup was his reply. Her sobs seemed to ease.

"Hell, Yuk Ming, I know I shouldn't have done what I did but fuck it, I wanted to be the first to meet you... But dammit, I wanted to do something different, to _be _different!" The words spoken gruffly produced an even worse outburst than he expected. She cried harder as her arms tightened around him.

He settled for a loud sigh. "Yuk Ming, don't cry!... I'm sorry."

"S-s al- (hiccup) right..." Hell, how he wanted to brush her tears away.

"I-It's j-just (hic) you-re... Y-you're..." she paused and took a deep breath... "the o-only one...h-here t-to wel-(hic)-come m-me _home_ a-af-ter..._ what happened_... (hiccup)"

_Eh? She sees my trick as a welcoming gesture? _He frowned. Holy Fuck. _What the hell was Yuk Ming thinking? _Wan Fei raised a hand to check her forehead for fever.

"…k-know you m-missed (hiccup) m-me..."

Bloody hell - _she_ wasn't supposed to _know_ that! His face hot, his ready tongue sought solace in bravado. "AH? What pork-brained idiot would think I'd miss a silly little girl like you?"

"…I-I – h-hav...m-missed… (hiccup)…you too …"

He stilled, his hand dropping to his side. Surprise brought his eyes to her face. He really hadn't expected her to say that. But damn, he felt the warmth of a thousand suns flood through him in that moment.

**oOo**

She found herself the sudden focus of amber eyes so brilliant that her breath stopped. She always thought Emperor Kim Tin's gaze were the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. Now she realised Wan Fei's slanted gaze in all their glorious iridescence, catching all the light of the morning sun, could effectively equal the beautiful emperor's magnificent stare. All trace of her hiccups disappeared suddenly and her mouth suddenly felt dry. She didn't know why but she felt uncomfortable under Wan Fei's penetrating amber gaze. The gathering frown on his brow meant a whole barrage of questions was coming. She didn't feel up to an interrogation. She had already revealed more than she should have... a fragment of her insecurities that no one else was privy to, a part of herself she never revealed to anyone but Ching Fung, and now, Wan Fei... that part that was weak and soft and emotional... She sighed silently. Any more explanations would entail baring her thoughts about coming home, the truth about Ching Fung, about why _exactly _Wan Fei's presence made her feel good… She didn't even want to think of it herself. There wasn't time for it anyway. She had many hours of explanations to come up for her upcoming interview with the Emperor, a prospect she didn't relish. She sniffed and somehow, managed to look away.

Silence followed. It seemed strange that Wan Fei was quiet for once. The questions that she could feel bursting out of him didn't come and she almost sighed in relief. Still, she felt the weight of his searching glance on her face before he finally stepped away from her firmly.

"Hell, Yuk Ming." She looked up at him and waited.

"This isn't solving anything. You're probably hungry again, aren't you?" He asked, a hint of humour flashed through his eyes. "That's it. We're getting some food into that hungry stomach of yours right now. What do you think, Phoenix Princess?"

Her stomach growled at the mention of food. Wan Fei grinned. Without further ado, he lifted her up and prepared to jump down the roof to the gardens below.

It was at that particular unguarded moment that she felt a sudden sharp sting in her arm. She heard Wan Fei swearing a trail of the most violent curses enough to burn the most insensitive ear as his arms suddenly tightened around her. Puzzled, Yuk Ming looked down to find her arm bleeding, a paralysing feeling was spreading from the seemingly deep cut and she found her gaze blurring.

**oOo**

**CAST:**

**Saihitei / Hotohori **_as _**Emperor Chu _Kim Tin _**_Heavenly Sword, _Emperor of the land

**Kourin **_as **Suet Lam **Purple Snow,_ a lady residing in the Palace more in the next chapter

**Yuki Miaka**_ as _**_Yuk __Ming_ **_Jade Dawn, _the Phoenix Princess

**Shunu Kou/ Tasuki **_as _**Chu_ Wan Fei_** _Flying Cloud, _The Second Prince and younger brother of Emperor Kim Tin

_******Kishuku Sou / Tamahome **__as _**Ching Fung**_Immaculate Wind _

_**Tenbun** as _**_Tin Po _**_Heavenly Retribution, _Agent of Princess Suet Lam

**oOo**

A/N: Thank you for reading. Please let me know what you think of this chapter


	6. CHAPTER 4 Deception and Dreams

DISCLAIMER: Fushigi Yuugi is not mine but like many others at this site, this story features characters borrowed from FY. The setting is borrowed from the Forbidden City in China. **THE RISING SUN** is a product of my imagination. Any potential similarities to characters, currently living or historical, are not intended.

RATING: PG-13

**The Rising Sun ©****_Jez_. (l.t.s.)** 2003.

SUMMARY: AU, romance/drama featuring characters borrowed from Fushigi Yuugi.

AUTHOR'S NOTES (A): This story is constantly under revision.

CHARACTERS:  
**_Yuk __Ming_ **_Jade Dawn _**- Yuki Miaka  
Kiu **_**Ching Fung **Immaculate Wind _- **Kishuku Sou / Tamahome  
_Wan_** _**Fei **Flying Cloud -_ **Shunu Kou/ Tasuki  
Emperor Chu _Kim Tin _**_Heavenly Sword -_ **Saihitei / Hotohori  
**_**Suet Lam **Purple Snow - _**Kourin  
****_Tin Po _**_Heavenly Retribution _**- Tenbun**

WARNING: MUSHY chapter but the end incident is significant (again)

**The Rising Sun  
written by _Jez_ (l.t.s.)**

**Chapter 4:**

**Uncertain Deception **

Palace of Celestial Purity  
**Centre **of the Inner Court of the Forbidden Palace

Emperor Kim Tin knew that his advisers would not approve. He understood their sentiments and misgivings. He had already decided to give her an audience and listen to her; he would do so, whatever anyone else may say. Looking at the woman before him now, he could not find it in his heart to believe her capable of trickery. Her eyes, clearer than his most precious amethysts yet more direct than any of his counsellors' glance, reflected the warmth and concern of a long-time friend as she gazed back at him. Her actions, quiet and restrained, as she returned his embrace bespoke the care and affection that he had come to depend on. The years since he had known her had filled a strange gap in his life that had started from the day he had been crowned emperor. To anyone else, it would seem strange that a woman, least of all, a foreigner, could share the Emperor's thoughts and wishes like an equal. But such was the way it was between them. Together, each had found solace for the desolation of being alone in a position that neither had chosen.

"Suet Lam." It was a whisper as he tasted the sweetness of it on his tongue, her name coming naturally to his lips with none of the usual formality. All he knew was that he needed her presence, her reassurance, and her warmth against his being. His hands had reached for hers of their own accord, tugging her towards him as she leaned automatically into his embrace, giving comfort when he needed it most.

Her presence before him was a result of a tribute to him as Emperor of the land. Suet Lam was a Princess of the Dorben People, a Tribe in Eastern Mongolia and from the moment she arrived, her background has been shrouded with distrust, suspicion, and outright hostility from the very foreigners she had come to call her people. Instead of making her a concubine, Princess Suet Lam proved herself adept at conversation and entertaining with chess and music and before long, she became a friend and companion to him. If he had thought the elevation of her status without marring her reputation would help her position, he was never more wrong. This only made her situation more uncomfortable as resentment from the Harem ladies grew while antagonism abounded from court officials and their wives who had daughters of marriageable age. As Emperor, he had all the power in the world and yet he could not protect a single woman from the daily harassment of a hostile court. Still, the Lady Suet Lam had borne these attitudes with incredible forbearance, unfailing grace and staunch equanimity.

Looking at her, silken hair flowing in cascading waves down her back as reflective of an unmarried court lady, he now wondered what she would say if he asked her to become his wife.

He sighed. For years now, she had stood by his side without complaint, letting the arrows of time dwindle away while she stayed in his company, cheering him with her smile and music, stimulating his mind with her chess and poetry, warming his heart with her kindness and care. He wanted to give her something in return but he did not know what she could possibly wish for.

He raised a finger to smooth a strand of hair from her brow, the scent of snow violets drifting to his nose. Of late, he'd begun to notice the shadows that marred her frequent smiles but therein lay the problem. Whatever she may be feeling deep inside, she covered it with a smiling serenity that could barely be breached. He had often wondered what it took to ruffle the tranquillity, the perpetual smile that must merely be a façade above the hurt that the unkind had imprinted on her. In that moment, as the voices of his counsellors returned, he suddenly wondered with a heavy heart just how many masks Suet Lam actually wore.

**oOo**

From the moment the messenger left, the letter had decided her fate. She had never regretted anything more in the world than her presence here. Yet she could no longer change her fate than the man who stood before her could. She knew that it was time. The moment to act has come. There was no room for hesitation. Yuk Ming's return only reinforced the need to accelerate her plans. The Phoenix Princess was not her ally and with everything she held dear hanging in the balance, she could not let this chance pass her by. To do so would mean failure and death. Yet, here she was now in the emperor's private quarters, betraying even herself as she relished the tightness of his embrace.

"Suet Lam." Emperor Kim Tin whispered against her hair but the sound only swept her with sadness. She really wished he wouldn't call her that even though she knew her wish was incongruous since that was the only name he knew her by. But then she often wished for the impossible… Even if she lied to herself that the current warmth in his eyes were all for her, she could not convince herself that they were fundamentally _real_. How could they be when all that he knew of her was an _act_, and all that she stood for was a _lie_. And yet how she wished with all her heart that it could possibly be otherwise…

Leaning close into Kim Tin's chest, she stood listening to the steady beat of his heart, breathing in the scent of him, feeling his warmth, melting in the security of his embrace and those words came out of their own volition… a whisper from the heart… the only truth in her pretence…

_Your Majesty, my love._

She hadn't said them out loud. She would not. She could not. And more so, she _dared_ not. Those three words, etched like flames within her mind, were enough to bring a surging tide of pain to her chest. She felt like her heart was being ripped apart, yet still she leaned just a little closer to him, wanting and needing to feel the essence of him around her even if the agony of it killed her. She would savour his nearness for now. All because she might never have this chance again.

"Your Majesty?" she began, her voice slightly muffled against the soft silk of his regal robes.

"Kim Tin." His voice firm and yet kind, his breath ruffling her hair and she couldn't help but sigh almost dreamily as his voice washed over her in waves of warmth with the gift of the precious use of his name.

"Kim Tin?" she whispered, cherishing the implied intimacy from within the torturous comfort of his arms.

"I-, you… Do-you-know-why-I-have-come?"

The words came out in a rush and for some reason, the succinctness of the closed question came out wrong. He would say _yes_ or _no_. Nothing more but it would change everything between them and she suddenly didn't want to hear his answer. She almost wished she could close her ears and somehow suspend time so that they could stay like this forever, neatly avoiding the point of revelation. Instead, she closed her eyes for a moment, dreading his answer. She suspected that he already knew but she didn't want to hear him say it. Not to her face.

_Ah, Kim Tin. Why did you have to be Emperor of this land?_

The familiar question passed through her mind for the countless time bringing with it the moistness of sorrow. She felt his touch on her face and looked up to find him smoothing away a wayward violet strand from her brow. His eyes were calmer than the most placid of lakes, clearer than the most lucid crystal and to her they were more beautiful than anything she could possibly imagine. That was until he smiled down at her and she discovered that nothing in all of existence could possibly equal the golden splendour of his smile. It wasn't right that he could still smile at her like this when he probably knew her purpose for being here. She felt herself cringing at what she had done and what she still had to do. His warmth burnt her with shame.

She sighed again but this time the sound was filled with sadness. Perhaps it was for the best. She pulled away and took a step back, reluctance and resolution warring violently within her even as every part of her screamed in outrage. It had felt _so right_ to be in his arms. The lingering warmth of him around her spelled everything she had ever dreamt of in her life. But even so, it was _not right _for _her_.

_She_ was _not_ right for _him_.

"Suet Lam." The name again. She blinked hard, battling the onslaught of threatening emotion and willing the pain away as she recalled the harsh bounds of duty. "You can tell me." He told her softly, his voice kind. He was so very gentle with her that she wanted to cry.

She could not betray him. She didn't want to.

_But you already have._

**oOo**

Perhaps it was fate. He thought as he felt her pull away. He knew why she had come tonight. It was a time for explications. Although he had no wish to listen to them, he steeled himself anyway and waited calmly for the world to change between them.

"Kim Tin," she began, her voice quiet and filled with infinite sadness, "It wasn't my choice to come here in the first place. I just wish- I just hope- I... needed to make that clear." He stayed silent and waited, the heaviness in his heart increasing with each word that passed her lips.

"It was a mistake right from the start. I didn't want to come. If I had another choice, I would never have consented to this. I have deliberated for four years, thinking, wondering, searching for another way. I couldn't find it within me. I could _not escape _my duty." Each word she said sliced at him. Although somewhere deep within him, he should have known that she would miss her home, he never realised how much she disliked it here.

_She never wanted to be here. She never wanted to be with me._

**oOo**

It has been four years. Four _long_ years…" She paused, glancing at him, her eyes shadowed by hopelessness.

_Four wonderful years spent with you, meeting you, knowing you… _

She sighed, closing her eyes for a brief moment, letting the truth flood her mind.

_Ah Kim Tin, you were never what I expected. I came furnished with the knowledge of your life, your youth, your preferences, your vulnerabilities, everything I needed to know but I wasn't prepared for the ultimate experience of meeting you. _

_No, I never expected… to love you…_

But out loud, those words never passed her lips. Instead, what came out was an outright lie. "I _never_ wanted to stay. I'm sorry."

"Is it because of someone else?" She heard him say, his voice lower than usual, seemingly far away. She opened her eyes to find him gazing out the window, his back to her.

_A life not my own is at stake. If only it had been mine and solely mine involved, I would have gladly given it up for you. _

She watched his back, knowing this would be her last chance to see him this way. "Yes. And I am afraid I can no longer wait." Her hand moved, reaching for the instrument hidden in her robes.

"I see." He suddenly strode towards his desk reaching for something among the important documents. When he turned back to her, his face was curiously expressionless as he pressed something into her surprised hands.

She glanced down to find folded papers in her grasp. With trembling hands, she reached out to open them, one by one. Her knees suddenly felt weak. They were hers.

_Her letters. How had he found them? _

Her eyes flew to his face but his eyes were unfathomable as he stared back at her. "I gather this must be the person in question." He stated it without question.

It took a full minute for her to understand what he had said, another minute to react.

_You don't know whom these letters are addressed to? You thought I wrote to someone else? Didn't you read them?_

She didn't realise she'd spoken out loud till she felt his fingers grasping her shoulders tightly and the golden eyes were suddenly gazing down at her with a powerful intensity.

"What _exactly_ do you mean, Suet Lam?"

She swallowed nervously. "I- Don't call me that... _please_" she prevaricated, staring up at him, unable to tear her gaze away from the brilliance of his golden gaze. And then a movement caught her eye.

Emperor Kim Tin's eyes widened when the woman he held withdrew a dagger from her sleeve.

_This dagger was her answer?_

He stared at her in shock. Then, the dagger she wielded hit the target and he winced.

It took no more than a few seconds but the emperor found himself flung down onto the floor with an amazing strength he could barely believe the diminutive Suet Lam possessed. He rose at the sight of a shadow flying out of the window, noting blood cascading on a white arm and then his eyes saw the fallen dagger.

_The dagger had been her protection for him. _

And then he looked down to find his own robes soaked and the body sagging against his was curiously still.

"Suet Lam?" He called, touching her cheek and feeling how cold it suddenly was and how incredibly pale. Her lips had gone a pale shade of purple that uncannily resembled her hair, bespeaking a poison rapidly spreading in her blood. From far away, he heard the sound of feet approaching, the doors opening, questions flung at him as people surrounded him. He ignored them.

"Suet Lam? Wake up!" He called urgently, pulling her towards his chest as he cupped her flawless cheek. "Don't sleep. Don't let sleep claim you - Suet Lam?"

"..._Not_ _Suet Lam_..." He strained his ears as she mumbled weakly. "Nu-ri-ko."

"Nu-ri-ko?" His question called up a smile from her; her eyes were unfocused but at least she had not gone to sleep - there was hope yet. He turned and ordered for all the Court Physicians to be summoned at once.

"Nuriko." Emperor Kim Tin tested the name on his lips. _So that is her name._

**oOo**

**CAST:**

**Saihitei / Hotohori **_as _**Emperor Chu _Kim Tin _**_Heavenly Sword, _Emperor of the land

**Kourin **_as **Suet Lam **Purple Snow,_ representative princess of Eastern Mongolia, tribute to the Emperor

**Yuki Miaka**_ as _**_Yuk __Ming_ **_Jade Purity, _the Phoenix Princess

**Kishuku Sou / Tamahome **_as _**Ching Fung**_Immaculate Wind _

**Shunu Kou/ Tasuki **_as _**Chu_ Wan Fei_** _Flying Cloud, _The Second Prince and younger brother of Emperor Kim Tin

_**Tenbun** as _**_Tin Po _**_Heavenly Retribution, _Agent of Princess Suet Lam

**oOo**

A/N: Thank you for reading. Please let me know what you think of this chapter


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